Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Operation Starfish

On July 9, 1962, a high-altitude nuclear test named Starfish Prime was conducted by the United States military above Johnston Island in the Pacific Ocean. Its unexpected electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effects caused disruptions in electrical systems and equipment in Honolulu 700 miles away.

The EMP shut down long-distance telephone calls and disabled three satellites in low earth orbit. Radiation resulting from the test later destroyed a total of seven satellites by knocking out their solar arrays or electronics.

A massive current of EMP could be unleashed with catastrophic effect on the United States if a nuclear weapon were detonated high above the earth. The energy of this pulse would disable and possibly destroy any electronic device and power grid in line-of-sight of the detonation.

Cars.

Buses.

Trucks.

Planes.

Trains.

Any vehicle with an electronic ignition or engine control system could be rendered useless.

The lifeblood of America -- food, energy, goods and services -- would be gridlocked.

The power grid: knocked out.

The phone system: gone.

Several years ago, an Iranian military journal publicly considered the idea of launching an electromagnetic pulse attack as the key to defeating the world's lone superpower.

Frank Gaffney, author of Warfooting, states "If [EMP] hits the electrical grids of the United States... if it hits electronic devices, computers, chips of various kinds--the things, in other words, that power our society--they're likely to be severely damaged, if not destroyed."

This would wreak havoc on the country's electronic systems, and plunge much--if not all--of the continental U.S. into a pre-industrial state. A blue-ribbon commission created by Congress confirmed this danger in a report submitted in August 2004.

At a height of 300 miles, the entire continental United States would be exposed to EMP attack, along with parts of Canada and Mexico. Congress was warned of Iran's plans by Peter Pry, a senior staffer with the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack in a hearing of the subcommittee on terrorism, technology and homeland security.

Pry pointed out the Iranians have been testing mid-air detonations of their Shahab-3 medium-range missile over the Caspian Sea. The missiles were fired from ships.

"A nuclear missile concealed in the hold of a freighter would give Iran or terrorists the capability to perform an EMP attack against the United States homeland without developing an ICBM and with some prospect of remaining anonymous," said Pry. "Iran's Shahab-3 medium range missile mentioned earlier is a mobile missile and small enough to be transported in the hold of a freighter. We cannot rule out that Iran, the world's leading sponsor of international terrorism might provide terrorists with the means to execute an EMP attack against the United States."

Lowell Wood, acting chairman of the commission, said yesterday that such an attack – by Iran or some other actor – could cripple the U.S. by knocking out electrical power, computers, circuit boards controlling most automobiles and trucks, banking systems, communications and food and water supplies.

"No one can say just how long systems would be down," he said. "It could be weeks, months or even years." Wood said he could think of no other reason Iran would be experimenting with high-altitude detonations of missiles besides planning for an EMP attack.

One nuclear weapon. One missile. One motivated maniac.

Those are the realities of the situation, no matter how the Copperhead Democrats try to spin the NIE.

I guess the main differences between the Iranian high-altitude detonations and the US one(s) are -

1. The Iranian ones are alleged. The US ones are verified.2. The Iranian ones are non-nuclear (can you imagine the fuss). Starfish was nuclear.

Of the seven satellites that were destroyed by Starfish, how many were non-US? Do you actually give a shit?

The US by its actions has already demonstrated to the world that it's prepared to detonate nuclear weapons during times of peace (Starfish plus the other 1053 detonations) and during times of war (Hiroshima, Nagasaki).

So who is the real menace to the world, Iran or the US? For all its pro-democracy propoganda the US has ruthlessly pursued an imperialist adgenda starting wars overtly and covertly and propping up dictatorships like there's no tomorrow. Korea, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Cambodia, Iran, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Grenada, Panama, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Somalia, Haiti, Afghanistan, Iraq again.

Get your own house in order you flag-waving moron before being so quick to attack other nations.

Iran is only interested in destroying Israel and the US. The timing of any attack is also key since they believe that they are living in the time of the 12th Mahdi right now and that was not the case in the 1980s. This has been a concern among the military and intelligence communities for some time now. You have to listen to the rhetoric that comes from Iran to understand that they have only found their nuclear program to be of more urgency in the past decade or so and it has just been in the past few years that they have come to the conclusion that the time is now. It's all about religion for them. They believe that this is what they must do. I suggest you read up on the teachings of Islam that they practice in Iran and then you may understand a bit better.

The satellites lost were American. Back then there were only American and Soviet satellites and if the Soviets lost any, I doubt they would admit it. Interestingly, one of the satellites lost was Telstar. As to moral equivalency between the US and Iran, I worry a lot less about a nuclear US (or Russia, China, or Pakistan) than I do Iran. The thought of the Bomb in the hands of a Medieval barbarian doomsday cult who hates our guts and is sworn to our destruction worries me.

Please explain how it's ok to, "If Iran had nuclear weapons in the 80s it could have abruptly ended the Iran/Iraq war and saved half a million lives."

But it was not ok to save 5-25 million Japanese lives [estimates given to Truman] by bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

And btw, how is Iran sending thousands of children to clear Iraqi minefields equivalent to America?

Finally, all the war and hot spots you mention are examples of either fighting communism or radical Islam. Since neither of those ideologies would permit you to criticize them, indeed you'd either be killed or end up in a gulag, how exactly are they equivalent to America?

What really worries me is N. Korea. We Know they have nuclear waepons; Some intelligence experts feel that N. Korea may have the capability to mount one of their medium range missiles with a nuclear warhead; Our Intelligence services have lost track of 2 of their missile launchers. It would not be a far stretch to assume that they have been loaded on a freighter bound for a western port somewhere. That is a scary thought!

What is near enough? The Somali pirates have "recommissioned" 28+ ocean going ships of various sizes. No one knows where they are and what flag they are operating under. One could be in the St Lawrence Seaway right now. Is 200 miles close enough to launch a 2500 mile missile? 50 foot sailboat? 37 foot cabin cruiser?

So many of the articles talk about nuclear "warheads" without understanding that an EMP attack requires a nuclear device but does not require a "warhead" or "re-entry" vehicle, precision targeting as the device is simply detonated in orbit.

North Korea has already demonstrated it capability to launch a satellite into low earth orbit and to detonate a nuclear device. Assuming the device can be carried into orbit they are good to go. Worse yet, while the press focuses on N Korea they ignore the Iranians who received billions from Obama . There's no doubt that some of this money went to their partner N Korea .